5 page Ch Review

Chapter 15

Christian Integration in Marriage and Family Counseling Programs

Vasti P. Holstun & Lynn R. Bohecker

VIDEO

Author Bios

Dr. Vasti Holstun is core faculty at Liberty University. Before becoming a counselor educator, Dr. Holstun was a school counselor for 16 years. She is also a licensed professional counselor in private practice, where she continues counseling children, adolescents, adults, and families. Dr. Holstun publishes and presents at state and national conferences on the following topics: burnout, compassion satisfaction, and self-care for counselor educators, integrating spirituality in counseling, mental health in schools, and counseling supervision.

Dr. Lynn Bohecker is core faculty at Liberty University and the director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program. She has taught counselor education in secular and faith-based institutions of higher education. Dr. Bohecker has published many peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters. Her research interests include supervision, the integration of spirituality and religion in counseling, marriage and family, group work, diversity, inclusion, and professional identity.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, students will be able to:

1.

Incorporate a Christian worldview in their understanding of marriage and family counseling,

2.

Identify the impact of worldviews, beliefs, theories, and strategies on marriage and family counseling, and

3.

Work with a variety of family structures and will be prepared to ethically provide services to families with diverse worldviews, including a Christian worldview.

Introduction

While secular institutions recognize marriage and family as the basic structure of society, and many religions and spiritual systems accept marriage and family as important in their worldview (Blankenhorn, 2009), Christians believe that marriage and family are sacred institutions because they were created by God Himself (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:18-24). Furthermore, Jesus reinforced approval of the institution of marriage by performing his first miracle at a wedding (John 2:1-11) and explicitly speaking against divorce (Matthew 19:1-8). Furthermore, the Bible views the church and the church members as a family, with God as the Father, and the members as siblings—brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 2:19; 1 John 3:1; 1 Timothy 5:1-2; John 1:12-13). This is why the idea of everyone being equal in church made sense at a time when society was very much disaggregated based on social class and other differences (Galatians 3:26-29). Viewing the church as a family can also help us understand how the church functions as a system. Each member of the church is part of this system, compared in 1 Corinthians 12 to a physical body, with each member functioning as one component of the body and with each member as important as the next. Counseling concepts related to family and family systems can apply to multiple types of entities such as the church, which inspires meaningful applications for Christians in particular, who often consider their church family as their second family.

Marriage in Human History

In modern human history and in individualistic and egalitarian societies, marriage prioritizes the feelings of the people getting married. It is assumed that when a man and a woman decide to get married, they independently choose to be with the other person and are in love with each other. However, this current belief has not always been the norm. In ancient human history, marriage was instituted to protect the most vulnerable segments of society: women, children, and the elderly (Blankenhorn, 2009). Marriages were also viewed as a means to create alliances between family groups, offer a place to belong, and a source of loyalty and protection. Moreover, marriages served as a way of ensuring the existence of future generations who would continue the traditions of the family or collective culture. Marriage was not about how the man or the woman felt about each other; their feelings were not a consideration and falling in love was not a requirement. Likewise, feelings of love were not a prerequisite to marriage in Biblical times.

Marriage in the Old Testament

The Bible shows us that marriage and the human family are very important to God. The Poem of Creation in Genesis 1 states that God decided it is not good for man to be alone, and he created a woman as his companion. When reading Genesis 1:26-27 carefully, we find that God created mankind in His image and further specified that He created them male and female. Theologians have debated for centuries what it means to be created in the image of God, but because God made both man and woman and made them be together, we may surmise that being part of a family is perhaps part of being made in the image of God (Johnson, 2020). The triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is also conceptually a family of three in one, and as such, understanding how ideal human families work at their best may give us a glimpse into how the Godhead works systemically and how families are the image of God.

Marriage in the New Testament

In this context, the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:21-33 laid out some fundamental principles for love and respect in a Christian marriage. While his advice was dependent on the cultural values of his time, the principles he described are applicable today. It may seem through a modern-day lens that Paul promotes the subservience of women by saying that wives are required to submit to their husbands. However, verse 21 begins with, “Submit to one another” (New International Version Bible [NIV], 2011). Then, in verse 25, Paul requires husbands to love their wives sacrificially, as Christ loved the Church and gave His life for her. Paul also explains in verse 24 that the type of “submission” he refers to for wives should be similar to how the Church submits to Christ. Thus, husbands and wives are both called to be submissive. It would be safe and not difficult to submit to someone who loves one sacrificially.

The Bible does not call on wives to be unconditionally submissive to their husbands nor condones the abuse of that submission on the husband’s part. Questions that may arise are, What if the wife loves and respects the husband, but the husband does not submit to God, and does not love his wife sacrificially? Or what if the husband loves the wife sacrificially, but the wife does not respect or submit to the husband? Unilateral submission results in a tyrannical relationship in which a dutiful Christian spouse is taken advantage of, disrespected, and often treated with contempt. Incidentally, secular research shows that contempt is likely one of the main causes of divorce (Gottman, 1993). When both the husband and the wife follow God’s call to submit, the marriage and family unit can function in God’s image as was intended.

The Role of Sin in Marriage

It is often difficult for marriage and family counselors to connect marriage and family counseling principles with Biblical fundamentals. However, the connection may be nearer than we think. The Bible is very clear that God is a relational God. When we think of God from a relational perspective, we can then connect our theology with marriage and family counseling principles, which are very much focused on relationships (Johnson, 2020). Not only is God a relational Being, but He also created mankind in His image—to enjoy and connect relationally with God and with fellow human beings (Genesis 1:26-27). Furthermore, we must understand that when sin entered the world, it shattered these delicate and profound relational connections. Genesis 3 clearly describes that sin ruptured the loving connection between God and His creation (Genesis 3:10) and between Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:12). Genesis 3:10 tells us that Adam was afraid of God—which is the opposite of a loving relationship. In Genesis 3:12, Adam blames his wife for his sin, and Eve blames the serpent (Genesis 3:13). It is interesting that the couple does not take responsibility for their actions until they are forced to bear the consequences of their choices. According to Johnson (2020), sin is relational. Instead of seeing the image of God in our loved ones, we end up seeing them as the source of our difficulties. When our relationships with God and others are distorted by sin, we suffer, and this may be particularly true in marriage.

Family Systems In the Bible

Systems theory (Bowen, 1966) revolves around a few concepts, such as the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, systems having a hierarchy, executive organization, subsystems, and systems having self-preservation as the main goal. When we think about systems, it is important to realize that Biblical cultures were very much about preserving homeostasis and involved self-correction in dealing with family members (2 Samuel 3:28-30). This brings us again to the story of creation. While we see the couple dynamics with Adam and Eve, we also see that each of them had personal responsibility and contributed to the dynamic. There is little information about where Adam was when Eve took the forbidden fruit and why he chose to eat the fruit (Genesis 3:1-6). However, the Scripture describes how God held each of them accountable for their actions, even though they were a couple and acted together in some ways (Genesis 3:13-19).

Biblical Example: Jacob’s Family

A Biblical family that is interesting to analyze is Jacob’s family in Genesis (starting in chapters 29-35 and 37-50). The dynamics are complex because Jacob had two wives (who were also sisters), two concubines, 12 sons, and one daughter. We can see how Jacob’s actions (or lack thereof) impacted the system and created several complex interactions and dynamics that ultimately had a very powerful impact on all family members. The same complex dynamics can be viewed in Abraham’s story (Gen. 16:1–16; 21:8–21) and Isaac’s (Genesis 24 and 27). Thus, it is important to note how cultural norms (such as the allowance of polygamy, even though

The objective of this assignment is to expose students to Christian integration on many topics in the counseling profession and to provide flexibility for students to study chapters aligning with their degree program! Students will refer to these instructions when completing the Chapter Review Paper Assignments.

I nstructions

Your instructions are the same for each paper, but each submission will be from a different chapter/topic. Each Chapter Review Paper Assignment must be between 5 double-spaced pages (not including the title page, abstract, and reference pages). Each paper must be created in a Microsoft Word document. You are highly encouraged to use the APA 7th Edition Word Template that is linked under the Resources header on each Chapter Review Paper Assignment page. Use the following guidelines to write each assignment.

1. Provide a title page in the current APA format including only your name, the Chapter (#) and Title, and the institutional affiliation (Liberty University). The paper should have the running head in the appropriate place and a page number on every page.

2. You are not required to write an abstract for your papers in this course.

3. Divide your paper into three sections with the following major headings: Summary, Interaction, and Application (review the current APA Manual for guidance on levels of headings if needed). The chapter review papers do not require an abstract . For more information on how the title page should look according to Liberty University Standards, please reference the APA Template that was given to you in Module 1.

4. Develop a Summary of the main concepts from the assigned week Chapters in a minimum of least two pages, no more than four . The summary should be appropriately concise, clear, and adequately complete. The summary is not a commentary or listing of the main points but rather a discussion of the core ideas presented in the chapter. Use the objectives of the chapter to guide the discussion presented in your summary. Cite the chapter in-text (Warden & Simmons, 2024) at least once per paragraph, and include page numbers for direct quotations (Warden & Simmons, 2024, p. 123). Each page of the Summary should have no more than three direct quotations. Avoid lengthy or block quotes in the summary.

5. In your own words, describe your Interaction with the chapter in a minimum of two pages, no more than four . Appropriate comments for this part of the Chapter Review Paper Assignment should include:

a. Your initial response to the chapter (positive, negative, or neutral).

b. Three insightful observations you gained from reading the chapter.

c. Your subjective comments about the main points of the chapter. Support your comments by scholarly sources (less than 10 years old). The scholarly sources may include peer-reviewed articles you may have read in previous courses, textbooks for other Liberty University courses, the ACA Code of Ethics (2014) or the AACC Code of Ethics (2014), and relevant Scriptural insight. Please include proper citations and references at the end of the paper.

d. You are required to include citations of at least three academic sources on top of the chapter that you are writing about in the Interaction section. An academic source includes chapters from textbooks like King & Ford. (Remember to properly cite the chapter of a book in APA 7th Edition formatting), the ACA Code of Ethics, books from other courses you have taken so far in your degree program, journal articles, etc. Citation of bible verses is very much encouraged as they relate to the topic of the chapter.

6. In your final section (in at least 1 page, no more than 2), write how you would apply (Application) the information you have learned from the chapter to your life and profession. Explain how the chapter objectives and major ideas of the chapter will impact you as a professional counselor in the future. You are also highly encouraged to share how reading this chapter has helped you grow in your walk with the Lord.

7. Please include a Reference page and properly cite the King and Ford (2024) book, along with all other sources of information you cite in each of your Chapter Review Paper Assignments. Ensure that each of the in-text citations you use in the body of this paper is written in the reference list. For example, if you cite two different chapters in the paper, you will have two different citations in your paper (remembering to cite the authors of the chapter(s), not the editors King & Ford). In the references page of your paper, you will list the references in the following way (See example below)

Knapp, K. & Hull, C. (2024). Christian integration and the CACREP alliance. In J. A. King & K. M. Ford (Eds.),  Christian integration in counselor education. Kendall Hunt Publishers. ISBN 979-8-3851-2564-7\

Remember that all papers in this program follow the current APA format and are written

per APA Professional (not APA student paper) standards.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.

Chapter 15

Christian Integration in Marriage and Family Counseling Programs

Vasti P. Holstun & Lynn R. Bohecker

VIDEO

Author Bios

Dr. Vasti Holstun is core faculty at Liberty University. Before becoming a counselor educator, Dr. Holstun was a school counselor for 16 years. She is also a licensed professional counselor in private practice, where she continues counseling children, adolescents, adults, and families. Dr. Holstun publishes and presents at state and national conferences on the following topics: burnout, compassion satisfaction, and self-care for counselor educators, integrating spirituality in counseling, mental health in schools, and counseling supervision.

Dr. Lynn Bohecker is core faculty at Liberty University and the director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program. She has taught counselor education in secular and faith-based institutions of higher education. Dr. Bohecker has published many peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters. Her research interests include supervision, the integration of spirituality and religion in counseling, marriage and family, group work, diversity, inclusion, and professional identity.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, students will be able to:

1.

Incorporate a Christian worldview in their understanding of marriage and family counseling,

2.

Identify the impact of worldviews, beliefs, theories, and strategies on marriage and family counseling, and

3.

Work with a variety of family structures and will be prepared to ethically provide services to families with diverse worldviews, including a Christian worldview.

Introduction

While secular institutions recognize marriage and family as the basic structure of society, and many religions and spiritual systems accept marriage and family as important in their worldview (Blankenhorn, 2009), Christians believe that marriage and family are sacred institutions because they were created by God Himself (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:18-24). Furthermore, Jesus reinforced approval of the institution of marriage by performing his first miracle at a wedding (John 2:1-11) and explicitly speaking against divorce (Matthew 19:1-8). Furthermore, the Bible views the church and the church members as a family, with God as the Father, and the members as siblings—brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 2:19; 1 John 3:1; 1 Timothy 5:1-2; John 1:12-13). This is why the idea of everyone being equal in church made sense at a time when society was very much disaggregated based on social class and other differences (Galatians 3:26-29). Viewing the church as a family can also help us understand how the church functions as a system. Each member of the church is part of this system, compared in 1 Corinthians 12 to a physical body, with each member functioning as one component of the body and with each member as important as the next. Counseling concepts related to family and family systems can apply to multiple types of entities such as the church, which inspires meaningful applications for Christians in particular, who often consider their church family as their second family.

Marriage in Human History

In modern human history and in individualistic and egalitarian societies, marriage prioritizes the feelings of the people getting married. It is assumed that when a man and a woman decide to get married, they independently choose to be with the other person and are in love with each other. However, this current belief has not always been the norm. In ancient human history, marriage was instituted to protect the most vulnerable segments of society: women, children, and the elderly (Blankenhorn, 2009). Marriages were also viewed as a means to create alliances between family groups, offer a place to belong, and a source of loyalty and protection. Moreover, marriages served as a way of ensuring the existence of future generations who would continue the traditions of the family or collective culture. Marriage was not about how the man or the woman felt about each other; their feelings were not a consideration and falling in love was not a requirement. Likewise, feelings of love were not a prerequisite to marriage in Biblical times.

Marriage in the Old Testament

The Bible shows us that marriage and the human family are very important to God. The Poem of Creation in Genesis 1 states that God decided it is not good for man to be alone, and he created a woman as his companion. When reading Genesis 1:26-27 carefully, we find that God created mankind in His image and further specified that He created them male and female. Theologians have debated for centuries what it means to be created in the image of God, but because God made both man and woman and made them be together, we may surmise that being part of a family is perhaps part of being made in the image of God (Johnson, 2020). The triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is also conceptually a family of three in one, and as such, understanding how ideal human families work at their best may give us a glimpse into how the Godhead works systemically and how families are the image of God.

Marriage in the New Testament

In this context, the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:21-33 laid out some fundamental principles for love and respect in a Christian marriage. While his advice was dependent on the cultural values of his time, the principles he described are applicable today. It may seem through a modern-day lens that Paul promotes the subservience of women by saying that wives are required to submit to their husbands. However, verse 21 begins with, “Submit to one another” (New International Version Bible [NIV], 2011). Then, in verse 25, Paul requires husbands to love their wives sacrificially, as Christ loved the Church and gave His life for her. Paul also explains in verse 24 that the type of “submission” he refers to for wives should be similar to how the Church submits to Christ. Thus, husbands and wives are both called to be submissive. It would be safe and not difficult to submit to someone who loves one sacrificially.

The Bible does not call on wives to be unconditionally submissive to their husbands nor condones the abuse of that submission on the husband’s part. Questions that may arise are, What if the wife loves and respects the husband, but the husband does not submit to God, and does not love his wife sacrificially? Or what if the husband loves the wife sacrificially, but the wife does not respect or submit to the husband? Unilateral submission results in a tyrannical relationship in which a dutiful Christian spouse is taken advantage of, disrespected, and often treated with contempt. Incidentally, secular research shows that contempt is likely one of the main causes of divorce (Gottman, 1993). When both the husband and the wife follow God’s call to submit, the marriage and family unit can function in God’s image as was intended.

The Role of Sin in Marriage

It is often difficult for marriage and family counselors to connect marriage and family counseling principles with Biblical fundamentals. However, the connection may be nearer than we think. The Bible is very clear that God is a relational God. When we think of God from a relational perspective, we can then connect our theology with marriage and family counseling principles, which are very much focused on relationships (Johnson, 2020). Not only is God a relational Being, but He also created mankind in His image—to enjoy and connect relationally with God and with fellow human beings (Genesis 1:26-27). Furthermore, we must understand that when sin entered the world, it shattered these delicate and profound relational connections. Genesis 3 clearly describes that sin ruptured the loving connection between God and His creation (Genesis 3:10) and between Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:12). Genesis 3:10 tells us that Adam was afraid of God—which is the opposite of a loving relationship. In Genesis 3:12, Adam blames his wife for his sin, and Eve blames the serpent (Genesis 3:13). It is interesting that the couple does not take responsibility for their actions until they are forced to bear the consequences of their choices. According to Johnson (2020), sin is relational. Instead of seeing the image of God in our loved ones, we end up seeing them as the source of our difficulties. When our relationships with God and others are distorted by sin, we suffer, and this may be particularly true in marriage.

Family Systems In the Bible

Systems theory (Bowen, 1966) revolves around a few concepts, such as the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, systems having a hierarchy, executive organization, subsystems, and systems having self-preservation as the main goal. When we think about systems, it is important to realize that Biblical cultures were very much about preserving homeostasis and involved self-correction in dealing with family members (2 Samuel 3:28-30). This brings us again to the story of creation. While we see the couple dynamics with Adam and Eve, we also see that each of them had personal responsibility and contributed to the dynamic. There is little information about where Adam was when Eve took the forbidden fruit and why he chose to eat the fruit (Genesis 3:1-6). However, the Scripture describes how God held each of them accountable for their actions, even though they were a couple and acted together in some ways (Genesis 3:13-19).

Biblical Example: Jacob’s Family

A Biblical family that is interesting to analyze is Jacob’s family in Genesis (starting in chapters 29-35 and 37-50). The dynamics are complex because Jacob had two wives (who were also sisters), two concubines, 12 sons, and one daughter. We can see how Jacob’s actions (or lack thereof) impacted the system and created several complex interactions and dynamics that ultimately had a very powerful impact on all family members. The same complex dynamics can be viewed in Abraham’s story (Gen. 16:1–16; 21:8–21) and Isaac’s (Genesis 24 and 27). Thus, it is important to note how cultural norms (such as the allowance of polygamy, even though